Hanouf Almutairi

I completed a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science at Taibah University in 2021, where I was trained in subjects such as clinical biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and immunology. My graduate research project focused on breast cancer, investigating the role of Ki-67 in disease progression and evaluating its clinical correlation with various clinicopathological factors. In 2022, I pursued a master’s degree in Bioscience with a focus on Cellular and Molecular Biology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Under the supervision of Professor Pierre Magistretti and in the Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Energetics, I used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for disease modelling through the development of brain organoids. Throughout this research, I gained hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques and iPSC-derived brain organoids as well as studying astrocyte-neuron interactions in 2D systems. In 2024, I joined DPAG under the supervision of Dr Mootaz Salman, where my DPhil research focused on using human iPSCs to build Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) organoids and exploring organ-on-chip technologies to vascularize brain organoids. My goal is to advance disease modelling and deepen our understanding of how BBB dysregulation contributes to neurodegenerative diseases and dementia.